Crystalyn Kae Blog

I’ve tried many versions of this business—retail, studios, employees, contractors, wholesale, and markets. What I’ve learned is that success doesn’t come from constant expansion or overwork. It comes from building something that supports a full, well-lived life.

Seattle-based designer Crystalyn Kae joins the Common Caws for Sustainability podcast to talk about what it really takes to scale a small, sustainable fashion brand. From turning vintage plaid pants into her first handbags to partnering with FABSCRAP to source reclaimed materials, Crystalyn shares how she’s built a business rooted in creativity, integrity, and durability. Listen to the full interview or read the transcript below.

 

Every Crystalyn Kae bag is constructed in small batches using industrial equipment and materials engineered for durability. From seam placement to reinforcement stitching, construction decisions are made for long-term use — not just first impressions.

Crystalyn Kae bags are sewn on restored industrial machines built for durability and precision. From walking foot construction to double-needle strap reinforcement, the tools behind each bag determine seam strength, load distribution, and long-term performance.

What is the environmental impact of manufacturing the vegan bags? I have a hard time with people who say that buying a vegan bag is going to save the planet, because at the end of the day: buying fake leather...

Step inside my Seattle studio, where I make sustainable bags from reclaimed materials and vintage fabrics — each one crafted to be both beautiful and useful.

 

Every Crystalyn Kae bag is designed and sewn in Seattle using reclaimed textiles chosen for durability and character. Made in small batches since 2001, these bags are built for real life — including the washing machine.

Once relegated as an upholstery fabric until made fashionable by Coco Chanel in the 1950's this textural fabric called Boucle has become a classic staple of French style. Popularized further in the 1960's by Jackie Kennedy, boucle has become a mainstay of today's fashion.

 

While thrift shopping in Seattle, Crystalyn discovered an entire roll of unused boucle fabric that just begged to be made into bags.

 

 

Leather is a very long-lasting material, it can last thousands of years. So, why should we produce new when we can up-cycle? In New York City, the heart of American fashion manufacturing, I have access to a plentiful supply of exceptionally rare swatches, mill-end rolls, and even production leftovers from major designers and manufacturers. I have had the pleasure to collaborate with a local non-profit, FabScrap, to obtain my leather (and textiles) for my current collection.’ 

 I was recently invited to participate in first-person full-sensory experience to the cultural context of vegetable-tanned leather in its birthplace in a tiny village in Tuscany called San Miniato. 

As an artisan, this invitation is obviously a bucket-list opportunity and a welcome catalyst to experiment - to stretch myself in ways I don’t usually have opportunity or resources to try.

All of the products we consume make an impact on the environment. We cannot fight the nature of consumption and our exponentially growing population. How, where, and with what materials things are made determine just how much of an impact a product's lifecycle can create.

Apparently, the Center for Environmental Health found that many faux-leather handbags contain unsafe levels of lead—even from big-name designers. At Crystalyn Kae, you never have to worry: our bags are lead-free, vegan, and made in the USA.

 

  Thank you to everyone who posted their responses to the question: “What makes Crystalyn Kae different from major designer brands?”  58 (and counting) of you submitted your comments (and even a poem!) expressing why you choose to support independent … Continue reading →